The rise of cloud computing services has taken on a surge these past few years.
I mean, the technology at first glance can be a bit intimidating. Wouldn’t you agree? Not to mention, scary…
Just the term, “cloud computing” brings fear to most people. You might be one of those people that are having conversations similar to the following…
“What is this cloud people keep talking about?”
“The last I checked, clouds were in the sky”
“Is this like a fad or some kinda lingo the kids nowadays are talking about?”
Or…
“Why should I care about this cloud thing, anyway?”
If you’re guilty of any of this type of self-talk. Don’t worry, it’s normal. Sort of…
I’ll do my best to dispel some of these concerns in this article. You may have other concerns that aren’t addressed here. If so, then reach out to us directly, right here from this website, and let’s see what we can do to help you out.
OK, onward and upward (to the cloud that is). Let’s define, cloud computing.
What is Cloud Computing?
If you do a search on cloud computing, you’ll get a plethora of varying definitions. Since I like to keep things simple, let me give you a basic definition of what cloud computing is.
Essentially, cloud computing is “computing services” that is delivered via the cloud. The term cloud is really the internet.
The cloud allows for many companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, and Adobe, for example, to offer their services to a broader audience (pretty much the world).
By utilizing the cloud, these companies can provide certain aspects of their services on a subscription basis.
Take Microsoft for instance.
We’re all familiar with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc). Well, now when you purchase Office, you either pay for it monthly or yearly. This gives you an account with Microsoft, where you can then go out to their website and download the software.
There’s even a web version of the software, that you can use right there on the internet. That is cloud computing in action.
Your Data and the Cloud
Although there are many variations of cloud computing, one area in particular that tends to be of most interest is that of data backup.
More and more companies are utilizing this cloud backup feature because of the convenience it provides.
Companies like Carbonite, for instance, have capitalized on this platform for business professionals. They allow you to back up your data to their servers on a scheduled basis from any number of computers, for a monthly subscription. Their fees vary, depending on the number of space needed for backup.
You’re essentially renting their storage space to park your data.
While there are many companies taking advantage of this convenient feature, there are others who are still on the fence about cloud backup.
They have concerns, like…
Where is My Data Being Stored?
This is a common question, as it relates to cloud computing. People are just not comfortable with the idea that their data is floating around somewhere in cyberspace and not know where exactly.
For instance, here in the US, some people want to know if their data is being stored on a server here on home soil. Or is it being stored somewhere overseas, where anyone in some foreign country can get access to it?
They’re just not comfortable with the idea that their data is being stored on a server outside US borders.
I think this is a legitimate concern to have, especially if your business does highly confidential work.
If you fall into this category, I recommend doing your research and seeing to it that your potential data company can confirm that for you.
Who Else Has Access to My Data?
Once you have decided that you’re going to choose the cloud as your platform for backup, now it’s time to turn your attention to security.
Who else accesses your data, once it’s uploaded?
The simple answer here is, that whoever you grant access to your data is the only one that will have access. Data companies understand the severity of security as it relates to their servers.
As a result, they have taken all the necessary safety measures to keep your data from prying eyes.
Let’s draw a parallel for a second, and look at email for instance. In my opinion, this is one of the first versions of cloud computing.
Email services like Hotmail (now Outlook mail) brought this concept to life in the mid to late 90s. It was the first free web-based email service that allowed people to send and receive electronic mail in an easy, and non-complicated interface.
Today, virtually everyone has an email address. The concept of web-based email has become so widespread since then, that many other companies like Yahoo, and Google, have adopted the same interface.
The technology that’s behind email is similar to that of what we know today as cloud computing. They’ve just added a few more layers to it.
But with email, given the fact that you have a password to get access to your email, the same is true for other cloud computing services. They all require some form of authentication to get access to.
Just like your email, if no one else knows your password or other forms of authentication, then they wouldn’t be able to get access to your information.
You might be thinking…” well I’ve heard of instances where people have had their email hacked”. I agree it has happened.
In this case, I recommend a healthy rotation of new passwords and authentication.
Final Words on Cloud Computing Services
Hope you got some value out of this article regarding cloud computing and what it can do for your business. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, cloud computing is here to stay. It’s best to become more familiar with it, so you don’t get left behind with this technology.
Data backup is a form of cloud computing when you’re backing up your data in the cloud.